France Travel Guide

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France and Italy are probably the most visited countries in Europe. Both these countries are rich in culture, history and offer unparalleled gastronomical delights. Perhaps the best known and some of the most beautiful places here are the French and the Italian Riviera. The coastlines in both these countries have long sandy beaches with crystal clear water, sunny weather, charming fishing villages and quaint little markets.

To truly experience France and Italy would mean that you would have to stay away from some of the large touristy cities and explore the hidden treasures in the Riviera which is where you would be able to experience the laid back and relaxed lifestyle of the locals and feast your eyes on some of the most breath taking views.

French Riviera:

The French Riviera is known for its elegance and chic sophistication with sea side resorts that can make you feel basked in luxury just by the sheer beauty of the place. St. Tropez is one of the most locations in the French Riviera, the playground of the rich and famous. Here you would find yourself lost in a maze of outdoor cafes, cobble stoned streets, colorful little markets and chic beaches like the Pampelonne beach.

Cannes, which in synonymous with film festivals is another location you must consider visiting. There are several offshore islands off Cannes like Isles de Lerins which are perfect for day excursions if you want to just relax and soak in the sun on the beautiful sandy beaches. There are so many such hidden islands here that perhaps the best way to visit them all is by a French Riviera Yacht charter. Having a French yacht will allow you to visit some of these hidden jewels in luxury.

Some of the other locations to include in your itinerary are Portofino, San Fruttuoso and Camogli.

Italian Riviera:

The Italian Riviera is a pristine stretch of coast line that can perhaps only be described as “picture perfect”. The Riviera has several locations that offer a rich experience for all the senses, full of color and beauty.

Elba is the most visited island in the Riviera and for good reason, the coastline here offers several beautiful beaches, some of which are so well hidden that you would not find any visitors there. To explore some of the many untouched islands here Italy yacht charters are the best options. The island of Giglio has beaches that would leave you stunned. With its historic connections and the enchanting markets there is something for everyone here.

Porto Santo Stefano was once a small fishing port situated close to Porto Ercole. Both these ports are still kept well hidden from the throngs of tourists that are otherwise seen in most of Italy which gives you the opportunity to seek refuge in solitude at these beautiful ports.

Amiens has a magnificent cathedral in the centre and some lovely cafes and bars down by the river. It looks like a lovely place to spend summer evenings. However, it was an early morning in March so all I was interested in was a few pictures before heading south towards Paris and meeting up with my friends for the friendly international between France and England.

The drive down to Paris gave me my first experience of a French toll road. Given that the price of petrol is more expensive than it is in the UK, I can’t really believe the French put up with it (and this is a nation that knows how to protest). Anyway, the roads were fairly clear and Garmin got me all the way to my hotel in Gard de Nor, a very un-exclusive area of Paris. I was quite thankful that the hotel had a secure underground car park.

I make no apologies for stating that I have no love of Paris. I find it incredibly expensive so as I had a couple of hours to spare, I decided to just relax in my hotel room. By about 5pm, I had arranged to meet some friends near the main station which was only 3km from my hotel. It was raining and I didn’t fancy walking so I called a taxi. I should have known better as the meter was already on 8.60 Euros when I got in and the short journey cost me 14 Euros. Thankfully, my friends had found one of the less expensive bars and a beer was ‘only’ 5 Euros.

Its always good to catch up with friends at England matches. We live in different parts of the country so its generally quite rare we all meet up apart from at the games. My hotel was on the way to the stadium so we soon jumped on the metro so I could pick up my ticket. From there, we walked to the stadium. At away matches, I don’t like arriving late. Queues can build up and you never know how the police will react, its not always as calm as it is in England. As it happened, there was the build at one of the gates at the game, tensions rose and police fired tear gas into the crowd. Now these were not rioting hooligans; it was men, women and children. I saw one of my friends in the ground who was caught up in it with his 8 year old son. A gas canister had actually landed at his feet and his son had ended up in the First Aid tent. Thankfully, when I saw him, he was alright although not surprisingly, he’d lost interest in the match.

The game itself was one of the most dull games I’ve ever seen and I won’t dwell on it. We stayed to the end and then walked back to the hotel for a final beer and then bed. I had to be at Bolougne for my ferry home by 12:20 so I wanted to be on my way by 9am. I know what traffic can like in London at that time and I didn’t want to get caught up in long queues in Paris.

As I drove past the Stade de France, the old Blondie song “Dennis Dennis, I’m so in love with you” was on the radio. She obviously wasn’t singing about the area around the stadium which is called St Denis.

Once I cleared Paris, the drive back was good. The toll road north was clear but it did cost me 15 Euros. The most difficult thing is that driving a UK car with the steering wheel on the correct side, it was quite tricky to go through the toll barriers as I had to keep reaching across to the passenger window to put my credit card in the machines.

I got home that evening and taking my car instead of flying was definitely a much better option. I was alone so it wasn’t that cheap but naturally, if there had been 2 or 3 passengers in the car with me, costs would have been split and it would have been a very cost effective way of visiting Belgium and France.